High-intensity sonic generator



Allg- 5 G. c. SEAVEY ETAL 2,608,391

' HIGH-INTENSITY some GENERATOR Filed June 21, 1950 Inventors, Gordan C. Sear/g1, Ca verton flflomlqy,

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s Sheets-Sheet 1 I Aug. 26, 1952 Filed June 21, 1950 G. CQSEiAVEY EI'AL HIGH-INTENSITY some GENERATOR v a Sheets-Sheet 2 In verz tars,

Gordon C. Seal/g,

Caperzont 1317 11 1 3,

g- 1952 G. c. SEAVE'Y ETAL 2,608,391

, HIGH-INTENSITY SONIC GENERATOR Filed June 21, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 G v (I eavey, Ha ve 2a Ziboralqy,

Patented Aug. 26, 1952 HIGH-INTENSITY some GENERATOR Gordon 0. Seavey, Arlington, and CapertonB. Horsley, Westwood, Mass., assignors to Sonic Research Corporation, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 21, 1950, Serial No."1 69,3 i4

. 16 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for the generation of high intensity soundin fluid materials in order to allect the characteristics of the materials in various ways. More specifically the apparatus of the invention is suited for the production of high intensity sound at high frequencies in an enclosure-constituting a fluid treating chamber; Q

Heretofore attempts to producejvery high sound intensities at high frequencies have been confined to the use of piezoelectric or magnetostrictive equipment wherein, vibrations are induced in a piezoelectric crystal or'a magnetostrictive rod by electrical means. Such equipment is limited in its available power by the tendency of the vibrating elements to fracture at high sound pressure levels, and by therelatively low eii'iciency of conversion of electrical into accoustical power.

It is, therefore, a specific object of our present invention to overcome these difliculties by producing high intensitysound at high frequencies by mechanicalmeans.

It is a further object to devise such equipment in a form which is relatively compact and free from undue stresses on themoving parts.

It isa further object to provide apparatus for subjecting liquids to high intensity sound treatment in a continuous flowarrangement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for carrying out sonic treatment in. a resonant chamber so constructed that the eifects which ,occur in different localized areas oi'the chamber may be readily distinguished.

According to the general planet the invention a relatively thin disk-like cylindrical member of steel or other rugged vibration conducting material having a cylindrical cavity, forming a fluid treating chamber, disposed along its axis, is vibrated in a radial direction by a mechanism contacting its periphery. The alternate radial expansions and contractions of the cylindrical member caused by the vibrating mechanism focus toward its center in radially symmetric fashion, and these vibrations pass into the liquid material in the central treating chamber as sound waves.

A preferred mechanism for vibrating the cylindrical member comprises a row of uniform rollers disposed about the periphery of the memin contact with the rollers.

the same. one ofthe races is constituted in such a way as to present a surface of periodically varying resiliency to the rollers so that relative movement in a radial directionjbetween said members will result as said rollers travel in said races when one of the members is rotated.

We have found that a suitable race presenting such a surface of periodically varying resiliency may beobtained in a number'of ways; In one form of the invention the result is achieved by providing the'inner cylindrical member with a series of unilform parallel longitudinal grooves in its periphery, the grooves being parallel to the axis of the disk. A thin resilient shim is placed over the grooves and the rollers are adapted to be held compressively against the shim by the oute resilient member. The shim is alternately flexed and released asthe rollers periodically pass over the grooves, thus causing alternate expansion and contraction of the'outer resilient member withattendant production of inwardly directed vibrations inthe inner'cylindrical member.- i i It is evident that in this form of the invention the grooves might with'like result, be formed in the inner surface of the outerl resilient member and the resilient shim placedinwardly thereof In another embodiment of the invention we achieve the desired result by providinga series of uniform cylindrical cavities just beneath the roller engaging surface of one of the races. As the rollers move under compression'along the surface under which are located thecavities, the resilient material ,in the areas between the cavities and the rollers yields slightly, because of the cavities, and, again, radially. symmetrical gibrations are produced in the cylindrical memer. 1 l

Still a third form of the invention involves the use of two seriesof rollers separated bya thin resilient shim. One set of rollers engages the outer surface of the cylindrical inner member and the other set of rollers is held compressively against the shim by the outer resilient member. Here again, rotationoi either member will cause each of one set of rollers alternately to pass opposite a corresponding roller of the other set and then opposite an interval between two rollers of the other set, thus periodically flexing the shim at uniformly spaced locations all the way around the central cylindrical member and producing vibrations exactly as described in connection with the other embodiments;

; Preferably we choose th resilient materials its inner and outer surfaces and a pressure maximum occurs at or near the outer periphery of w the cylindrical vibration conducting member.

In order to achieve this effect, the distance b3". tween'the outer surfaces of the two co'ncentric members should 'be approximately wave length of sound in the material used, and the distance from the outer wall of the treating-chamber to the periphery of the vibration conducting inner til and 62 position the outer bearing, and snap ring 66 also serves to restrain the shaft 52 from motion along its axis. An oil seal assembly 64 surrounds the shaft at the outer boss.

The hub portion 12 of member H) is fastened by machine screws 66 to a flange of the positioning stud" :26, located on which is a gasket 63. This stud AS is fastened in turn to the housing 58 with screws iii in such a position as to form aic'ylinclrical recess concentric with the axis of symmetry of .member It.

A circular rubber O ring 12 seals thejoint between stud member 46 andv the inner face of housing 53. r

."Ihe ihub; portion. PIA of disk 10 is fastened by member should be approximately one" wave length. I;

These and other features, advantagesand ob jects of the invention may. be more readily un-' derstood with reference to the "accompanying; drawings of3a. preferred'embodiment thereof, se-

lected for purposes of illustrationonlmy'in which like numerals refer to like parts-in the views, andin which: v

Fig. '1 is an end view, partly; in section on line l-.l of Fig. 2, of 'afhigh intensity sound generator according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-3 ofFig.,-'1; .f "f v v Fig.3 is a detail of a portion of the cylindrical treating chamber of; the; device; M

Fig. 4 isa detailhview on line :i l of Fig.- 2 showing one form of the vibration producing elements oftheapparatus; and f g Figs. 5, -6 and 7 show alternative forms of vibration producing elements. r r Y Referring first to Figs. l andz, there is shown a sound-generator, according to theinvention,

several including a disk-shaped or inner cylindrical member If), with projecting hubs l2 and it and a cylindrical chamber I6 lying along the central axis passingperpendicularly. through the disk.

The member It is composedof rugged vibration conducting material such as .steel. The periphery of the mernber with a continuous series org'r'ooves 13 '(as best seen in Fig. 4) parallel to the central axis, over which thereis laid a thin resilient annular shim 20, maintained compressivelyin place by shrinkage upon the assembly. A row of uniform cy= lindrical rollers 22j'tr'avels on the outer'sur'face of the shim 20. Ananriularresilient member 2a providing an inwardly facing .race and having a projecting flange '26 is shrunk over the rollers and compre'ssively maintains the same against the shim 20. r

The resilient annular'race 2 3 is fastened by a series of machine screws 28 to the driving hub 3t, whichis in the shape of a cylinder with a disk-shaped flange 3|, slightly concave in the direction of the disk-shaped member ill. One portion of the periphery of the driving hub is provided with gear teeth 32 which mesh with corresponding teeth 34 in'the drive gear st. Ball bearings 38 and it held'in place by snap rings t2 and 44, maintain the driving hub-30 in spaced rotatable relation to the tapered cylindrical positioning stud member 46.

The driving gear 36 is fastened by machine screws 48 to a flange 56 on drive shaft 52 actuated by conventional means not shown This shaft is rotatably located by ball bearings 54 in a bossed hole 56 in the housingttj Snap rings It is provided screws ltpassing'fthrough a boss in the cover plate it, and the 'jointis sealed with a gasket l8. The. covenplate is fasteneclby screws 85 passing through"its peripheral flange, securing it against "a corresponding flange on the housing 58. A rubber O ring BZ 'seals this joint between thefiangesr o V The hub portion {dis further provided with a d d s itha m i uidre edu i -n 09 m ings 86 and 83-which.terrninate in needle :or-ifices ti! and $92 leading into the cylindrical treating chamber 15. Th atre; ends of the ducts lit-and 83 pass into a threaded recess 91 in plug 84 designed to receive a liquid-conductingtube or-pipe $6. The plug t l may be inserted and removed by conventional means, such gas-a spanner As best seen inwFig: 3, the limbportion 1 2 02 member l i) is provided with T liquid-conducting openings 98, Iilll and IE2, similar to ducts 85 and such that liquids may bejfiowd through the chamber it in continuous Tfas'hion',by' means of the tubes or 'pipesiQB and 1138- screwed into the recesses 94, 15M 'and'ilfi'fil. As la'ter'expla-ined, the inner openings o f the cOnduits SGQBB, '98., 100 and l 92, are so placed that. by employing one orlmore of them'selectiv'e1y Ta'dvantag'e'may be taken of the resonant characteristics of .th'e'ch-amb'er IS.

The, entire assembly is 'mountedfoniany suitable support by attachment to'ithe 'flang'e portion l ill, which is provided with mounting holes H2. The interior of l the'igenerato'r, during operation, is kept filled with "lubricating o'il which maybe added or withdrawn through the oil "filling hole lit in the housing 158. V

r In the 'operationo'f the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-4, as the shaft 52 is turned by the drive motor (not shown); the'rotating race member 23 is driven at a 'speedjdeterrnined by tliejspeed of the motor and the gear ratio. between the gear teeth 32 on the driving hub 38 and the; gear teeth on the drive gear 3. .As the rotating race M is turned, the cylindrical rollers '22 roll between the inner surface H8 or the race 25 and the sur-.

face of thethin resilient shim'ttljwhich lies over the axially aligned grooves on th'e periphery ofshim 2t 'deflectsslight ly," andfthejo'uter rotatin race 24 contractsslightly towarditsaxis of rotation. converselm.whenever the rollers 22 are V aligned-radiallyabove the peaks intermediatethe grooves; the shim 26 cannotdefiect -andtheretatingzrace 2.4 is caused to expand slightly in radiallyrsymmetricalf fashion. I

SinceIIthe entire assembly of rotating. aide,

ated intozthe-disk memberilil wherethey focus down to the central liquid treating cavity. 16...?

In effect; the .outer surface of tIieshi n' ZG presents a surface of periodically. and uniformly varying resiliency. along its extent. The radially symmetrical vibrations which result as the rollers travel over the resilient shim '20 constitute vibrations which are radiated toward and converge at the center. of the disk-shaped member I and appear as sound waves in the chamber I6. The frequencyof these soundwaves is determined by the speed of rotation of the outer race 24,'the size of the rollers 22, and the spacing of the grooves It in the member Ill. The intensitymay be varied by varying the depth of thegrooves IS. for example. I Turning now toithe modifications ofthe invention disclosed in Figs. 5, Hand :7, it will beseen that there are illustrated alternative vibration producing assemblies which may be substituted for that shown in Fig. 4.I I I 1 In Fig. 5 the rotating race 24 has been provided with a series of cavities closely spaced from its inner surface I I8. The shim member has been eliminated and the rollers 22 roll between outer surface of the disk I0 and the inner surfaceof the outer race 24. As the rollers pass directly opposite openings I I6, the surface I I8, of periodic varying resiliency because of the openings, flexes slightly, and then returns to normal position as the rollers move onto points opposite the intervals between the openings H6. Inthis case the cavities [[6 are dimensioned and spaced with reference to the dimensions of the rollers 22, so that the entire surface IIB will'be flexed and all the rollers vibrate in unison, thus producing symmetrical centrally converging sound waves in the same manner as shown in Fig. 4. I

Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5except that a series of cylindrical openings I20 hasbeen provided in the disk member I0 instead of in the race member 24. The operation of the embodiment of Fig. 6 is the same as that of the embodiment of Fig. 5.

Still. another alternative vibration producing assembly is illustrated in Fig. 7, where two series of rollers I22 and I24 have been provided between the moving race 24 and the disk I0, separated by a resilient shim I26. In this case when the outer rate 24 is driven the rollers I 22 willIlroll upon the. surface of the shim- I26, flexing the same at the time when the rollers I22.are opposite the intervals between the rollers' I 24, and permitting the'same to return to normalunflexed position when the two sets of rollers are diametrically opposed to eachother. Here again the periodic flexing caused by'the rolling of rollers I22 creates intense vibrations which converge on the'treating-chamber I6 axially disposed in the disk ill, the frequency being determined primarily by the; size and speed of the rollers. I 1

Itwill be evident that the embodiment of Fig.

e'may readily be modified by reversing theposi tion of the grooves l8 and shim 20 to include them upon the inner surface II8 of the race 24. Furthermore, it will be observed that vibrations may be produced by driving eitherthe disk III or the race 24,150 long as the moving rollers are held in compressed relation against a surface of periodically varying resiliency and fluid to be treated can reach the treating chamber.

.There are a number of advantages in the arrangement of "parts of the sound generator according to the invention which may be most easily understood with reference to Fig. 2. It will be seen that the disk-shaped member I0, I the rotating race 24, and the resilient shim and rollers are shown in cross-section. I I

It has been pointed out above that the sound waves created by the. rolling of the rollers 22 over the shim 20 are focused toward the central treating chamber IS in radially symmetric fashion. Now, except for losses due to absorption of sound inthe material of the member ID, the amount of energy in the form of sound waves which traverses any circle dra'wn about the central axis of the chamberis essentially constant. Therefore, the amount of energy per unit area which crosses the wallIof the treating chamber is greatly increased over the amount per unit areaat the shim surface where the sound waves are generated. This focusing effect makes it possible to buildup very high soundjpressures in the chamber I6 without stressing the rollers 22 to an undue extent.

I To take an example, suppose thatthe circumference at the outer surface of shim 20 is ten times-the circumference of the treating chamber I6. Then the energy density, or amount of sound energy per unit area of surface, is ten times higher at the chamber walls than it. is at the outer surface of shim 20. The corresponding ratio of peak sound pressures is m :1 or, otherwise stated, the peak sound pressures which may be produced at the walls of chamber I6 are somewhat more than three times as high as those which must be withstood by the vibration producing elements. I

The use of a large number of rollers disposed about the outer surface of the shim 20 means, in addition, that each roller bears a relatively small portion of the total load which occurs at that surface, and the load per roller may be decreased. to whatever value is tolerable by increasing the radius of the disk-shaped member ID. Specifically, since the number of rollersused increases as the radius, and thepressure decreases as the square root of the radius, this means; that the load per roller decreases as the power of the radius. Thus the'dimensions of the parts of a specific machine may be readily determined to conform with the strength of the construction materials used. I a I Further to illustrate the frequencies and sound intensities which may be generated by apparatus according to Figs. 1-4,suppose the"undercut grooves are spaced approximately .016 from ridge to ridge, or valley to valley. To' obtain 50,000 C. P; S;;(cyclesper second), a roller must travel .016 in 5 second. Thus the roller speed mustbe '50,000 .016", i. e. 800 inches per second or 4000 feet per minute. At this peripheral speed roller bearings in diameter and 1" long should operate satisfactorily with peak loads as high as 200 pounds per roller. High quality bearing practices are required bythis combinalien for speed and peak load and the races and 9- spacedabout its periphery, and driving means to activate the said vibration-producing means.

2. A high intensity sound generator for sonic treatment of fluid materials which comprises a sound conducting member having a symmetrical curved outer surface and a fluid treating chamber located generally at its center of symmetry, and mechanical means for imparting impulses at a sonic frequency to said surface at a plurality of spaced locations over its area which impulses are in phase with each other and converge through said member-on said chamber.

3. Apparatus for the high intensity sonic treatment of fluid materials which comprises a cylm drical vibration conducting member having a fluid treating chamber at its center and an outwardly facing roller accommodating race on its periphery, a row of uniform rollers disposed about the periphery of said cylindrical member to roll in said race, and an outer resilient member compressivelysurrounding said rollersand having an inwardly fa'cing'r'ace for the, same, one of said members being rotatable for causing rolling movement of said'rollers and one of said races presenting to said rollers a surface of periodically varying resiliency for producing rapid alternate radial expansions and contractions of said resilient member as said rollerstravel in said races thereby generating in said cylindrical member a series of vibrations converging radially on said chamber to create an intense sound field therein.

4. Apparatus for the high intensity sonic treatment of fluid materials whichcomprises a cylindrical vibration conducting member having a fluid treating chamber at its center and an'o'utwardly facing roller accommodating race on its periphery, a row of uniform rollers disposed about the periphery of said cylindrical member to roll in said race, and an outer resilient rotatable member compressively surrounding said rollers and having an inwardly facing race for the same, one of said races presenting to said rollers a surface of periodically varying resiliency for producing rapid alternate radial expansions and contractions of said resilient member during rotation thereof as said rollers travel in said races thereby generating in said cylindrical member a series of vibrations converging radially on said chamber to create an intense sound field therein.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the one of said races presenting said surface of periodically varying resiliency comprises a thin resil ient shim one side of which engages one of said members and the other side of which forms said surface, the shim engaging portion of said last named member being provided with a series of uniform grooves facing said shim and parallel with both each other and the axis of said cylindrical member, said shim being adapted to be flexed when said rollers pass opposite said grooves.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the one of said races presenting the surface of periodically varying resiliency is formed by the provision of a series of cavities in said race beneath the roller contacting surface thereof.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the one of said races presenting said surface of periodically varying resiliency comprises a resilient shim and a second row of uniform rollers, said second row of rollers being disposed between said members concentrically with said first named row and separated therefrom by said shim, the side of said shim engaging said first named row of rollers constituting said surface and said shim bein adapted to be flexed when rollers of said first =10. named row pass opposite the intervals between the rollers of said second row.

8. In apparatus for the high intensity sonic treatment Of. fluids the, combination comprising a cylindrical vibration conducting member having a cylindrical fluid treating chamber at its center and a series of uniformly spaced peripheral grooves parallel to its axis, a thin resilient shim surrounding'said disk and covering said grooves, a seriesof uniform rollers arranged to roll on said shim, and a resilient rotatable outer race memberholding said rollers compressively in rollingengagement with'said shim thereby causing said rollers and .outer'race member to vibrate in unison toward and away from said cylindrical member Withthe alternateflexing and releasing of said shim as, said rollers pass over said grooves to produce a series ofvibrations in saidcylindrical member converging radially on said chamber. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the dimensions of the several parts are so chosen that the resulting mode of vibration will produce displacement maxima at about both the inner and outer surfaces of-said outer race member, and pressure maxima at about the outer surface of said shim and at the cylindrical wall and center of said treating chamber.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the distance from said cylindrical wall of said chamber to the periphery of said vibration conducting member will be about one wave length and the distance from the outer surface of said shim and the outer surface of said outer race member will be about wave length. l

11. Apparatus for the high intensity sonic treatment of fluid materials which comprises a stationary cylindrical vibration conducting memher having a cylindrical fluid treating chamber at its center and an outwardly facing roller accommodating race on its periphery, a row of uniform rollers disposed about the periphery of said cylindrical member to roll in said race, an outer resilient member compressively surrounding said rollers and having an inwardly facing race for the same, said resilient member being rotatable for causing rolling movement of said rollers and one of said races presenting to said rollers a surface of periodically varying resiliency for producing alternate expansions and contractions of said resilient member as said rollers travel in said races thereby generating in said cylindrical member a series of vibrations converging radially on said chamber whereby fluid material in said chamber will be caused to resonate and inlets and outlets for said chamber having openings therein at points of velocity and pressure maxima therein. 12. Apparatus for the high intensity sonic treatment of fluid materials which comprises inner and outer symmetrical vibratable members concentric with each other and having mutually facing roller receiving races, a row of uniform rollers disposed to travel in said races between said members, said outer member resiliently compressing said rollers against said inner member, and a driving device for rotating said outer member about said inner member, one of said races presenting to said rollers a surface of periodically varying resiliency for producing alternate expansions and contractions of said outer member during rotation thereof as said rollers travel in said races, thereby generating in said inner member a series of vibration converging radially toward its center, and said inner member having a resonating fluid treating chamber at its center of 1.1 symmetry upon which said vibrations focussed. V

13. Apparatus for the high intensity sonic treatment of. fluid materials comprising a solid di'skof sound conducting material having a centralcavity forming a fluid treating chamber and a. vibratory mechanism surrounding said. disk. and engaging the periphery thereof for mechanically imparting vibrations at a predetermined. operatingv frequency to the same simultaneously at a plurality of spaced locations about its. circumference, which vibrations are in phase with each other and in the plane of said disk and converge through saiddisk upon said cavity.

14. Apparatus. for the high intensity sonic treatment of fluid materials comprising a solid disk or sound conducting material having a central cavity forming av fluid treating chamber; a vibratory mechanism. surrounding said disk and engaging the periphery thereof for mechanically imparting vibrations at a predetermined operating frequency to the same simultaneously at a plurality of. locations uniformly spaced about its circumference, which vibrations are inv phase with each other and in the plane of said disk and converge through said disk upon said cavity, and inlets and outlets for said chamber for supplying fluid thereto and withdrawing fluid therefrom for purposes of treatment.

15. Apparatus in accordance with claim 14; in which said disk, mechanism and cavity are so proportioned with respect to the wave length of sound in the materials thereof that said chamber will resonate at the operating frequency with pressure maxima components in the regions adare 12 jacent its walls. andat its, center and a. displacement. maximum component in. a region therebetween.

16. Apparatus. in accordance with. claim 14 in which. saiddisk, mechanism and cavity are so proportioned. with. respect to the wave length of sound. in the. materials thereof that said chamber will resonate at the operating frequency with pressure. maximal. components. in the regions ad.- jacent. its. walls and at its. center and a displacement maximum component in a region therebetween, said inlets and outlets being selectively locatedv to open into said regions of maximum pressure and maximum displacement.

GORDON C. SEAVEY. CAPERTON B. I-IORSLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

